1 C1 idiomatic informal
(British informal) To suddenly break into uncontrollable laughter.
"The comedian's unexpected punchline made the whole audience burst up."
burst up
C1 informal intransitive
Chiefly British informal: to burst into laughter; also, to break apart suddenly.
In plain English
To suddenly start laughing a lot, or to break into pieces.
What does "burst up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
To break apart suddenly under pressure.
"The old water main burst up under the street after the freeze, flooding the road."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To burst (explode) upward or apart.
Actually means
To suddenly start laughing a lot, or to break into pieces.
Usage tip
Primarily British English slang for uncontrollable laughter. The sense of physically breaking apart is rarer and often replaced by 'burst apart' or 'explode'. Not widely used outside British informal contexts.
Words that pair with "burst up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
laughter giggling audience crowd pipe boiler
How to conjugate "burst up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
burst up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bursts up
he/she/it
Past simple
bursted up
yesterday
Past participle
bursted up
have + pp
-ing form
bursting up
continuous
Hear "burst up" in the wild
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